13 July 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Pride and Key Messages – Michelle Donn

2022 School Explicit Improvement Agenda (EIA):
Every Student is a Reader and a Writer – Aim for the ‘A’
Inclusivity: Everyone Counts!
Wellbeing and Engagement for All

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,

A warm welcome back to Term 3 for our staff, students and parent community. Whilst the temperature outside may be a little cool, it is wonderful to see so many happy, relaxed faces back at school eagerly embarking upon a new term of learning.

This week we will celebrate and acknowledge NAIDOC Week focussing on the messages of the 2022 theme – ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’ The start of Term 3 also heralds the commencement of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on Students with a Disability (NCCD) and the annual DoE School Opinion Survey. Our Year 5 students have also been introduced to the selection processes involved in nominating for a 2023 Student Leadership position.

Facilities Update

You will note that some external painting will be occurring around the school over the coming 4 weeks. The focus of this will be the Main CPA, Knowledge Centre and Labs, TCBC, E Pod, F Pod and the Administration Block. This work has been made possible by a successful funding application under the DoE Schools Refresh Program and the generous contribution by our P&C.

NAIDOC Celebrations

We are celebrating NAIDOC Week at TWSS this week. I would like to acknowledge our school NAIDOC Committee for their work in organising the range of activities that will be completed in classrooms throughout the week.

NAIDOC Artwork competition – Students can design a piece of artwork that connects to the theme and represents ‘getting up, standing up, and showing up.’ Getting Up, Standing Up, and Showing Up can take many forms.

The winner’s artwork will be painted on the next panel on the wall of the Knowledge Centre, near the yarning circle. Students artwork needs to include indigenous symbols and techniques to help tell the story.

Due: Wednesday Week 4, Term 3. Hand in to Mrs Nosworthy in S Pod.
Size: A4 Poster

On Friday 15 July, students are able to wear an Indigenous shirt or a shirt that has colours connected to their culture. All clothing worn must be sun safe and appropriate for school.

We look forward to sharing photos of our students engaged in their NAIDOC activities across the week with our school community via our school Facebook page and upcoming newsletter.

2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge

I am delighted to invite all students to join in the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC).

The PRC is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, anytime between now until 26 August.

To complete the challenge:

• Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books
• Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books
• Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books.

Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim for the 2022 challenge is to engage more students to read than ever before! Last year saw more than 168,000 children from around the state participate.

For suggested books or for more information about the PRC, please visit: readingchallenge.education.qld.gov.au

Reader record forms for interested students will be available upon request from class teachers.

Every student who completes the challenge will receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier. I look forward to seeing as many of our students as possible take part in the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

2022 School Opinion Survey – Parents/Caregivers

The annual suite of School Opinion Surveys will be conducted in Term 3. All families, school staff and students in target year levels (5, 6) will be invited to participate. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what our school does well and how we can improve.

This year the Department of Education is running the state-wide School Opinion Survey process for staff, students and parents/caregivers as per 2021 procedures. I have included some information below for your reference:

• Families with one or more enrolled children at our school will receive one invitation to complete the survey. The parent/caregiver to receive the invitation is selected based on information and email address in OneSchool.
• Participation is by invitation only. There is no generic survey link that can be used by all parents. Each link is unique and can only be used once by the parent. One parent per family will receive the survey link via email. No logins or passwords are needed.
• Parent survey invitations will be sent over a number of days in the week beginning Monday, 11 July. The survey will close on 12 August. The survey can be completed as soon as the invitation has been received - you do not need to wait until the official open date of 18 July.
• The survey invitation email uses the subject line: School Opinion Survey for parents/caregivers, 2022; parents should check junk email folders if it can’t be found.
• The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete using a computer, tablet or smart phone.
• Parents/caregivers who do not have access to the internet at home are welcome to complete their survey online at school. School computers/tablets can be made available upon request if needed.

COVID-19 Positive Cases notification to school community

Over the past week we have continued to be notified of positive test results for COVID-19 in our school community.

May I remind you to continue to:

• monitor yourself and your family for COVID-19 symptoms that can include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea, loss of smell and/or taste.
• stay home if displaying any symptoms, or feeling unwell. You should attend your local Queensland Health testing clinics where students are prioritised to get a free rapid antigen test (RAT).
• Continue to follow all Queensland Health advice.

If students become symptomatic while at school, you will be contacted to collect them. You will also be provided with a free rapid antigen test (RAT) to administer at home.

2023 BYOx Expression of Interest Process

The Willows State School is continuing to grow the successful introduction of the BYOx laptop program for students in Years 4, 5 & 6 in 2023.

Participation in the program is voluntary and we are currently seeking expressions of interest from families of current students in Year 3, 4 and 5 who may be interested in participating in the BYOx program at The Willows State School in 2023.

• Students who are currently in the BYOx program do not need to attend an information session and will receive a program re-commitment letter in Term 3, 2022. This will give the student and family the opportunity to elect to stay in the program in 2023 or opt out for 2023.

Parent Information Sessions – first one Thursday, 28 July 4:45pm

Parent Information sessions will be held in Term 3 for interested students and families. To participate in the BYOx program interested parents and students must attend a session to receive more detailed program information.

Please complete the survey below if your child is interested in participating in the BYOx program in 2023 and indicate which information session the family will likely attend.

Please note that completing this survey does not indicate a firm commitment to moving forward into the program.

Survey Link:

DATE CLAIMER: 25 Year Anniversary Celebration – Whole School Assembly

On Friday, 12 August from 9:15-10:45am a special whole school assembly will be conducted in the TCBC to celebrate the achievements of our school over the past 25 years! We would love our parent community to come along and help us celebrate this special milestone.

DATE CLAIMER: P&C Fun Fair – Friday, August 19 – Term 3, Week 6 – 5-9pm

Please note this date in your calendar NOW. Please also view the more detailed information provided by the P&C later in this newsletter regarding year level stalls and requests for donations over the coming weeks. Your support with donations and volunteering at our Fun Fair is much appreciated. Please contact the school should you be able to assist in any way. All funds raised go back into facilitating the enhancement of our school facilities and resources for your child.

ADVANCE NOTIFICATION: State-wide Student Free Day – Friday, 2 September (Week 8)

The Term 3 Student Free Day (SFD) has been scheduled by the Department of Education for Friday, 2 September. Please note this date in your calendars – there will be no school for students on this day.

Term 3 Calendar

Please view the calendar date claimers included within this newsletter for upcoming dates of significance for your children. Additional information/permission notes will be distributed to relevant student groups regarding specific events. Please ensure you adhere to all payment and/or permission deadlines to avoid disappointment for your child.

Have a wonderful week. Our next newsletter for Term 3 will be issued on Wednesday, 20 July.

Warm regards,

Michelle Donn
A/Principal

General News

STUDENT LEADERS FOR 2023

This semester, our Year 5 students will be completing the selection process for student leader positions for 2023. Interested Year 5 students have collected student leader passports to complete and submit for selection. These passports include several pages regarding their school commitments to be completed by students and verified by staff.

Students are asked to have these pages completed and then submitted with an application letter on Monday the 12th of September. Students are then shortlisted for interviews and leadership positions for 2023 are announced later in Term 4.

Our student leaders need to demonstrate excellent personal conduct, leadership qualities, good citizenship and show evidence of a long-term commitment to their role. Some discussion at home may support your child to decide which of their daily or weekly activities and commitments will help them to complete the passport and best demonstrate their commitment, community spirit and leadership skills.

It is important to understand that only students who have completed the booklet, written a letter of application and submitted these on time, are eligible for selection as a School, Music or Sports Captain for 2023. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child’s class teacher.

WILLOWS ROBOTIC COMPETITION

Congratulations to all the schools who participated in our first Willows Robotics Competition (WRC) last term. Nine state schools came to The Willows SS to challenge themselves and all had lots of fun. A special mention to our Willows Team B who won the “Creative use of Lego” Category.

It was wonderful to see so many students from different schools working collaboratively and demonstrating their creativity to design a creature with a moving part and its environment.

Thank you to our sponsors Orchard Business Technologies, The Coffee Tree Collective and Jayden Evans from Harcourts Kingsberry Real Estate for supporting this community event and our judges for giving up their time to judge on the day.

SCHOOL DENTAL VAN

The school dental van has been here since Monday 16th May, 2022. Dental forms were sent home with each student in Term 1.

The Offer of Dental Treatment is not compulsory and is an individual decision for each parent.

If you would like to access this service and have not already returned your form, please do so as soon as possible.

Additional forms are available from the office.

2023 ENROLMENTS – NOW OPEN FOR ALL YEAR LEVELS

Our school is now taking enrolments for the 2023 school year. Please get your enrolment forms in early. Should you know of friends or family looking to join our great school, please inform them that they are welcome to contact the office for further information and to obtain an enrolment package.

Prospective 2023 Prep students may also like to consider attending our Willows Warriors Pre-Prep Program on a Wednesday as a great transition and orientation process. Please contact our school office for further information about this.

Prep Vision Screening at The Willows State School – 19-21 July, 2022

The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program aims to optimise the health and wellbeing of Queensland children during their transition to primary school, with a key focus on vision screening for prep students. This program is a state-wide initiative and offers free vision screening to prep students in state, catholic and independent schools.

Registered nurses based in communities across Queensland work with the support of Children’s Health Queensland to deliver the screening service and capture important data about the health of Queensland children.

At The Willows State School the vision screening process is scheduled to take place on 19, 20 & 21 July. Consent forms will be emailed to parents/carers for completion online. If you require a printed copy of the consent form please contact our office.

Vision screening is vital in early childhood, particularly for conditions such as amblyopia, or a ‘lazy eye’ which, if not detected and treated early, can lead to blindness. Vision loss can result in children struggling at school and having poor learning outcomes and can also lead to behavioural issues and difficulty with concentration. The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program provides the opportunity for visual abnormalities to be detected early and, in turn, minimise the impact on a child’s learning.

If visual abnormalities are found during a child’s screening tests they will be referred to an eye health professional for further assessment. The Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program will follow-up with parents/guardians to discuss the outcome of this further assessment.

Upcoming Events

Positive Behaviour Learning

Defence News

HELLO and WELCOME TO ALL DEFENCE FAMILIES

Welcome back to Term 3, I hope everyone had a relaxing, enjoyable two-week holiday. I spent time fourwheel driving with friends in the outback. It was very cold and wet most of the time, but I still had lots of fun.

For the next two Mondays I will be getting creative with the Oasis Centre and defence students in Years 4-6. I have arranged for them to participate in making a Mosaic Art project here at school. Please check for a note that was sent home on the last day of school and please return as soon as possible if your child is interested. I look forward to having as many defence students involved as possible. When completed, this piece will be presented to the school at our 25th Anniversary Parade on Friday 12th August.

I have received information from some parents that a partner/loved one is away on Rimpac 2022. If this is your family, please contact me so I can keep an eye on your children here at school. Four months can be a long time when you are missing a parent and children can experience a range of emotions at school and at home. Always remember to talk with them when they are feeling sad or emotional. An activity you can do is get a calendar and count down the days with them. Make a Feelings Box with them to write down their feelings on paper and pop in the box. You can then check in the box each day to see how they are feeling. Some days at school may be a rollercoaster of emotions and having this information can be very valuable when supporting emotional students. Thank you to those parents who have already informed me of them going away. You can also contact Open Arms on 1800 011 046 for support.

Looking for Child Care? The Coral Sea Child Care Centre in Kirwan is part of the One Tree Defence Child Care Unit, offering priority access for Defence families in Townsville. Additional information about this service can be found by visiting One Tree Community Services website.

Emergency Support for Family Scheme (ESFS)

Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) can provide short-term financial assistance to an ADF member’s dependants in an emergency or crisis situation. This support is given when the member is absent from home for service reasons or unable to care for their dependants for a medical reason. The emergency event must be unforeseen, sudden and be beyond the immediate coping mechanisms of your family. The ADF member, their dependants or the member’s Commanding Officer can seek emergency support under ESFS by contacting the Defence Member and Family Helpline on 1800 624 608 or our office on 4430 3879.

Defence Families of Australia are looking for your support. They are looking for several local families to participate in a photography project to highlight some of the unique benefits and realities of Defence family life in a natural and candid way. Each shoot may take around three hours and is proposed for June/July 2022. It sounds like fun for the family. There is a flyer attached with contact details.

If you just posted into Townsville this year or in the last 18 months, your children may be eligible for Education Assistance. This is available for students who move to a new school due to a posting. You have 18 months to apply and use the Education Assistance. If you have posted in this year and would like your children to benefit from some extra tutoring, you can do so NOW. Just contact the Defence Member and Family Helpline 1800 624 608 or email education.supportprograms@defence.gov.au for the form. I have copies of the Education Assistance form at school that I can have the teacher sign and return home with student upon request. One hour of tutoring per subject (Maths and English) for up to 14 weeks can be accessed. Reports are no longer required to access this service. Please contact me if you have any further questions about the form. This is a valuable resource to assist students with their learning and therefore assist with their transition into a new school. This builds self-confidence and resilience in children. I am always available to answer any questions about your student’s transition into their new school. You can ring the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608, visit DMFS website or collect the forms from me. For more information go to the link below:

Geckos Family Centre at Lavarack Barracks is excited to announce that large renovations will occur to the internal facility from 5 May – 30 June, 2022. The internal facility will be closed for this set period over this time. All weekly groups, school holiday activities and special events will continue (at various locations). The playground will remain open for families to utilise throughout this period. Check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with the activities and events held throughout the year or phone them on 07 4411 7031 for more details.

TO BE UP TO DATE WITH WHATS ON IN TOWNSVILLE CHECK THE LINK BELOW, or follow on Facebook or call 07 4411 7031.

DON’T FORGET to Register for DMFS mailing list NOW at MemberandFamilyHelpline@defence.gov.au or follow on Facebook for updates.

DATES TO REMEMBER

TIME TO DINE, PARTNERS NIGHT OUT, FRIDAY 22 JULY - Fancy meeting other spouses and enjoying a partners only night out? Take the time to dine and join us for dinner at the Bohle Barn. Meet new friends, catch-up with old ones, soak up the live entertainment, relax and unwind. Tickets to this event are essential and are limited so book now!

This is a self-funded activity. Attendees are responsible for the cost of purchasing their own food and drinks.

Where: Bohle Barn, Bohle
When: Friday 22 July - 7:00pm

COFFEE CONNECTIONS CAFÉ BAMBINI FAIRFIELD THURSDAY 4TH AUGUST- ADF members and families in Townsville, we’d love to see you at Café Bambini - Fairfield for Coffee Connections in August. Whether you’ve been in Townville for a while now, or have just arrived, everyone’s welcome. This is a self-funded activity. Attendees are responsible for the cost of purchasing/providing their own food and drinks. Children are welcome under parent/guardian supervision.

Where: Café Bambini – Fairfield
When: Thursday 4 August, at 9:30am-11:30am.
Registration: Eventbrite - Coffee Connections

IMPORTANT - Contacts

Defence Family Helpline 24/7 - 1800 624 608 - Need Help give them a call

DMFS Office at Nathan Business Centre on Ross River Rd, call 07 4430 3879

Open Arms support former and current serving ADF personnel and their family members can use the service also call 1800 011 046 www.openarms.gov.au

Mates4Mates – Townsville FRC 4771 9600 townsville@mates4mates.org

Café now Open from 9am-12.30pm every day, you are welcome to attend for a chat and to have a look around.

The Oasis Townsville for Ex-ADF Community in Townsville hello@theoasistownsville.org.au

Dirty Books Café – 1 Staging Camp Avenue, Oonoonba – 07 4759 8777

DFA (Defence Families of Australia) – NQ Delegate Larissa Ostermann 0418 796 561 nth.qld@dfa.org.au

DSNG Defence Special Needs Group - 1800 037 674 www.dsng.org.au

Beyondblue.org.au www.australia.gov.au

Geckos Family Centre Nth Qld Lavarack Barracks - Contact for enquiries on 07 4446 1238 or follow on Facebook

Kookaburra Kids Charity Organisation Mental Health Service - 1300 566 525 www.kookaburrakids.org.au or contact Hannah Galliner 0484 544 451/1300 566 525

Defence Holidays NQ at Lavarack Barracks (opp the Gym) - 07 4725 3842 admin@defenceholidaysnq.com.au

My hours are Monday to Friday 8:00am-3:30pm. Please phone me anytime for a chat on 4799 1333 ext 323, or email me cwhee36@eq.edu.au . I look forward to meeting you.

Correna Wheeler
Defence School Mentor

I LOVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO IDEA HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE AND JUST WANDER AROUND MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Willows Warriors

The Willows Warriors have a Teddy Bears Picnic.

P and C News

The Willows State School P&C Fun Fair on August 19 from 5pm-9pm

The countdown is on to The Willows State School Fun Fair happening in Term 3! Our year levels have all nominated to caretake a different stall and over the coming weeks we will be asking for small donations from our whole school community to help each year level. Thank you to everyone who has already donated items for our fun fair. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Cent Sale Donations Week 1 - Week 2

In Week 1 and 2 we are calling out to all local businesses for a donation to our Cent Sale. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in donating to our Cent Sale. Prizes can range from vouchers to hampers to products from your business. We are able to offer acknowledgement and promotion of your business at the event and on our Facebook page to show our appreciation.

If your establishment is able to help in any way, we would very much like to hear from you. We can be contacted via our P&C email address pandc@thewillowsss.eq.edu.au .

All donations can be given to class teachers, dropped directly to the office or directly to the OSHC.

Glass Jars

Please keep your glass jars! We will accept any size, clean and with the label removed if possible.

Prep News